The late ASP Michael Padel had requested for some members of a team of arresting police personnel to be despatched to him, prior to an ambush which took his life in Semporna in March last year, the High Court in Kota Kinabalu was told today.

Semporna Special Branch (SB) officer Inspector Khairulnizam Husin, 45, said Michael, who was the Semporna SB chief, made the request after contacting him via mobile phone.

He said the late police officer had requested for some personnel - from a team which was assigned to arrest a suspect linked to the Lahad Datu intrusion - to be sent to his (Michael’s) location at Kampung Sri Jaya, Simunul, during an operation to look for the suspect at the village.

“I had replied, ‘Sir, my team and I are conducting an inspection (on a house) and there are six arrestees’.

“I said I would send the personnel (to Michael) after the inspection was done,” he said, adding that he and his team were at a house numbered 19.

Khairulnizam was the prosecution’s 43rd witness in the trial of 30 accused, comprising 27 Filipinos and three local residents, charged with various offences in connection with the intrusion by Sulu militants at Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu in February last year.

Some are facing multiple charges of being members of a terrorist group or waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, recruiting members for a terrorist group or wilfully harbouring individuals they knew to be members of a terrorist group allegedly committed between Feb 12 and April 10, last year.

To a question by deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff, the SB officer said after speaking to Michael on the phone, he instructed one of his men, Sergeant Mohd Mustafa Kamal Ngah, to look for Michael so that his team could join the latter.

Ishak: Did Mohd Mustafa Kamal go out of house no. 19 when you instructed him to?

Khairulnizam: Yes

Ishak: What happened when Mohd Mustafa Kamal left house no. 19?

Khairulnizam: Not long after he left, I heard gunshots coming from the right side of house no: 19. The sound was that of repeated gunshots and I believe it came from a heavy firearm.

Upon hearing the gunshots which occurred about 7.30pm, Khairulnizam said he instructed everyone, including the six arrestees at the house to lie on the floor and take cover.

He also instructed his men to be prepared with their firearms for any eventuality.

‘Slash wounds on head and right hand’

Khairulnizam told the court that while he and his team were taking cover in the house, Mohd Mustafa Kamal returned with a frail Bukit Aman SB officer, ASP Mohamad Hasnal Jamil.

He said Mohamad Hasnal had slash wounds on his head and right hand and was bleeding profusely.

He said an injured Supt Ibrahim Lebar, with slash wounds on the head and gunshot wounds in the abdomen, had also appeared alone at the house but succumbed to his injuries, not long after.

Khairulnizam said he and his team with the six arrestees remained at the house for about 22 hours, until they were rescued.

The hearing before Justice Stephen Chung at the Sabah Prisons Department resumes on Oct 7.

- Bernama